The present invention relates to a method for producing lipids containing bis-homo-.gamma.-linolenic acid and/or arachidonic acid with improved efficiency.
For the production of bis-homo-.gamma.-linolenic acid or arachidonic acid useful as medicines and biochemical reagents, there have been known methods for preparing arachidonic acid using microorganisms belonging to genera Penicillium, Cladosporium, Mucor, Fusarium, Hormodendrum, Aspergillus and Rhodotorula (Japanese Patent Kokai Koho 52-64484) and employing Mortierella elongata (H. YAMADA, et al, "Agric. Biol. Chem.", 51, 785, 1987). However, such methods have been disadvantageous in that the amount of the end product produced is small.
It has also been known that microorganisms belonging to a genus Conidiobolus produce bis-homo-.gamma.-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid (D. Tyrell, "Can. J. Microbiol.", 17, 1115, 1971). However, such a method is also poor in the productivity of the end products. Further, proposals have been made of a method for mass-producing arachidonic acid employing Conidiobolus microbes and using glucose as a carbon source (Sakuzo Fukui, et al, "Proceedings of Japan Agricultural Chemistry Society", pp. 156, 1987). A problem with this is also that the amount of the end product to be produced is less than satisfactory.